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Today in History: Australia Apologizes to Indigenous Peoples
02/13/10
On February 13, 2008, the government of Australia issued an official apology to the nation’s indigenous peoples for decades of mistreatment, including the forced removal of an estimated 100,000 mixed-race children—known as the Stolen Generations—from Aboriginal families between 1910 and 1970. These children were placed in orphanages, boarding schools, or white foster homes in a misguided effort to assimilate them into mainstream Australian society. Proponents of the policy claimed that the children were removed in order to protect them from abuse or neglect. In reality, the majority were severely traumatized by the separation from their families, the loss of their tribal identities, and their inability to gain full acceptance in white society.
The call for a national apology began in 1997, with the publication of a report called “Bringing Them Home” by Australia’s Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission. The report examined the lives of the Stolen Generations and found consistent patterns of social dislocation, depression, alcoholism, physical and sexual abuse, violence, and early death. Conservative Prime Minister John Howard responded to the findings in 1999 by issuing an official statement of regret for the injustices suffered by indigenous peoples. He refused to apologize, however, saying that his government and current generations of Australians should not be held responsible for past actions.
Over the next few years, “sorry” became an emotionally charged term in Australian politics. Hundreds of thousands of Australians participated in an annual Sorry March across the Sydney Harbor Bridge to demand an official government apology to indigenous peoples. The activists argued that it would serve as a powerful symbol of respect and facilitate national healing. Labour Party candidate Kevin Rudd promised an apology as part of his successful election campaign in 2007. After taking office, he made it the first order of business for Australia’s new parliament. As part of the historic event, Rudd gave a speech expressing his hope that the apology would enable his government “to remove a great stain from the nation’s soul and, in a true spirit of reconciliation, to open a new chapter in the history of this great land.”